FW: Previn Concerto

[Alan W Deverell]

In my astonishment at this subject matter I posted a copy to a friend.

Anyone want to add to these comments from him ?

I'll file this one with HOAXES, too.  If the piano was intentionally,
or
accidently, tuned to A441, then the oboe tunes to the piano, and  the
orchestra tunes to the oboe - so they should all be in tune.  (Did
Previn say to the orchestra, "I want to be different, so please don't
play in tune with me!!"?)  I might have some of these (not specified)
Previn recordings, but the typical off-centre NZ pressings could
easily
wobble in pitch by this amount.  The BBC always used 440 Hz as a
broadcast line-up tone, and presumably it was available at all their
studios.  I seem to recall that EMI photos showed an intercom(?)
loudspeaker on a stand near the conductor, and I think this was also
used as a 440 Hz tuning source.

As for the A442.  It is not clear whether this is a deliberate choice,
or arises by accident.  I suppose if a tuner has carried around with
him, and bashed a lot, a favourite tuning fork for all of his working
life, then its accuracy could become suspect.  If he keeps it in  his
pocket or the glove box of his car, then temperature could also upset
it.

HIDEOUS AFTERTHOUGHT:  These recordings may have been done in the
infancy and novelty of multi-track recording.  Suppose the pianist was
dissatisfied with his(her) performance and decided to have another go
at
it, or to redo parts of it.  Time has elapsed since the original
session, the temperature and humidity are different in the studio -
even
worse, the studio or instrument might be different.  ("I want to redo
this on a better piano!")  Well, you get the picture.  The relative
pitch between piano and orchestra could easily have drifted apart.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Alan W Deverell [SMTP:aland@casa.co.nz]
> Sent:	Tuesday, September 22, 1998 3:16 PM
> To:	Singleton, Roy RXS
> Subject:	FW: Previn Concerto
>
> Sharp Flat and A442 ?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org] On
> Behalf
> Of Roger Jolly
> Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 1:08 PM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Previn Concerto
>
>
> Hi Horace,
>            I have no first hand experience with Mr. Previn, but it
was
> the London recordings that I was refering to, I guess I'll listen
more
> closely to the string sections the next time. It was the Gershwin
recordings
> that stuck in my memory. Barry Tuckwell and David Grey were the
French Horn
> players for the recordings, and the subject came up at a dinner just
> after a concert. David is a friend and was the conductor of our
local
> Symphony.
> REgards Roger
>
>
>
>
> At 05:39 PM 21/09/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >Roger,
> >
> >At 02:04 PM 9/21/1998 -0600, you wrote:
> >>         But I have heard that Previn likes his piano at A441,
have
> also picked it up on some of his early recordings. the piano is a
little
> sharp of the Orchesra???? Go figure.
> >
> >The LA Phil pianos have been at (at least) 442 for at least 20
years.
> Ditto, most of the other major halls in LA.
> >
> >In re: the piano being sharp to the orchestra.  Which recordings?
> The London ones are all at a minimum (average) pitch of 442, but the
oboes are
> consistently flat, the flutes mostly so, the clarinets flat in the
low registers
> while sharp in the higher ones, the bassoons - well, they're
bassoons, they're
> sharp, etc for the other instruments.
> >
> >The ones from LA during his tenure were recorded at Royce Hall at
> UCLA, and, in that venue, the air conditioning has to be shut off
during
> actual recording (it >was not designed as a recording studio).  In
> this latter case, anything remotely >resembling "in tune" playing on
> those recordings has more to do with the quality of the >LA band
than
> anything else
> >
> Roger Jolly
> Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
> Saskatoon and Regina
> Saskatchewan, Canada.
> 306-665-0213
> Fax 652-0505